role of story, The

Journal of Engineering Education, Oct 1998

This issue of the Journal of Engineering Education includes selected papers from the 1997 Frontiers in Education conference held in Pittsburgh, PA. The Frontiers in Education Conference (or FIE as it is affectionately known) has been providing engineering and technology faculty an opportunity to explore cutting edge ideas since the early 70s. The first FIE conference I attended was in 1981 at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City, SD. Ron Schmitz, for whom the Schmitz Award is named, chaired the conference. Lyle Feisel was on the faculty and was giving tours of his earth-sheltered home. Attending the conference was an extraordinary experience! I met faculty who knew a lot about engineering education, who had read the education literature, and who were engaged in scholarly work about teaching and learning. I could hardly contain my enthusiasm.

I've attended almost every FIE conference since that snowy fall in Rapid City in 1981. Each year I learn lots of new things and am reminded of important old things. Most importantly, I see lots of people who are deeply engaged in scholarly work in engineering education. Many of them have become good friends and I look forward to making many more friends at FIE conferences. I have been honored by several FIE awards, including the Helen Plants Award and the Ron Schmitz Award. I currently serve on the FIE Steering Committee and am very gratified that the conference continues to succeed beyond our wildest dreams.

Since this issue contains articles from a very special conference for me, I decided to review books that address a very special topicThe Role of Story.